Trump on Obama and ISIL: “I was being sarcastic but…”

Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump has backed down from comments calling Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama the founders of ISIL.

But he was still linking Obama to the militant group at a campaign event on Friday in Pennsylvania.

“I mean he let this happen,” Trump told supporters.

“They had eight states. They had eight countries. They are now 28 countries. They are expanding. So I said, the founder of ISIS – obviously I’m being sarcastic…but not that sarcastic to be honest with you – and they all said ‘He should not say that’.”

Clinton meanwhile has released her tax returns, piling more pressure on her billionaire rival to do the same. The New York businessman has cited an audit by the Internal Revenue Service as a reason for his refusal to do so.